CHAPTER ELEVEN
Five years earlier
‘It’s weird to think we might be on different teams if we get into Volitant.’ I stroked the long snout of my wyvern, Cosia, calming her, and myself, before the final race.
‘When we get into Volitant, Lena.’ Theo emerged from under the wings of his wyvern, the membrane folded like tents between its body and front feet. ‘Whoever wins today gets to fly for Ballenir, and the loser can, I guess, fly for Mirendi.’
He finished buckling the saddle. I swallowed my nerves as I watched him work. I still hadn’t told him that no other team had responded to my letters. Not even Mirendi, who needed better riders than their current nepotism picks.
‘No more different teams, please!’ Ophelia, Theo’s mother, entered the aviary. She was dressed head to toe in royal blue and red – the colours of Wanderlust Racing. Our team. ‘I’m not going back to buying two sets of shirts!’
Cam arrived next, her shoulders squared and carrying a case of water bottles. The glass clinked in time with her heavy steps.
‘Ma, come on, I get that you like Lena, but I’m your son. Is it too much to ask that you cheer for me?’ Theo took the water bottles from Cam, offloading them to the bench before pulling two out.
‘Yes,’ both Ophelia and I replied in unison.
I grinned at her and she smiled back, the same dimples I always saw on Theo’s face, making it impossible to forget the family tie.
Theo took three steps across the aviary and handed me a bottle. The wyvern aviaries were a definite step up from the Junior Drake stables, but it still felt crowded with two wyverns and their riders, let alone our guests.
‘Relax, Theo.’ Cam clapped him on the arm. He winced. ‘I’m on your side.’
Theo’s face burst into a gloating grin. His warm brown eyes danced across my face, waiting for my reaction. He wouldn’t get the satisfaction though. No matter how much time our families spent together, I would always know Cam best. She wasn’t going to let me down.
‘Because you’re right, kiddo,’ Cam continued, ‘family comes first. That’s why I always cheer for Lena.’
My gaze was already locked with Theo’s, so I got to enjoy every second of his face falling and shoulders slumping as he lost this round.
I thumped his arm in victory, making sure to get the right side, and leaned in close. ‘Nice try, Theo.’
Breathing in near him was a mistake. His citrus cologne was so thick that it caught in my throat, threatening a coughing fit. I took a swig of water to wash it away. I needed to be in perfect condition for the race.
‘You know what? I think that’s enough visitors for today.’ Theo threw his arms wide to herd our guests out. ‘The final race of the season requires some calm preparation.’
‘Oh, don’t pout, sweetheart—’ Ophelia was cut off by Theo’s one-armed hug that doubled as a way to corral her from the room. ‘Good luck, Lena!’
‘Hey!’ Cam hadn’t been moved by Theo in the slightest. ‘Show them what you’re made of.’
I nodded. Cam’s resolute belief in me was as strong as my own. We knew I was the best rider. That my only competition was Theo.
She ambled out, met by Ophelia already chatting to her at the door.
‘Alesso and Pops have saved us seats, we’ll be able to see the finish line …’ The heavy door muffled the rest.
I turned back to Cosia, who had remained calm among the whirlwind of the last well wishes.
‘You’re grateful to Theo, aren’t you?’ I asked her, adjusting the straps of her reins. ‘It’s better to have some quiet time before we fly.’
‘I don’t think any rider has been as soft as you when it comes to their wyvern.’ Theo leaned against the smooth stone brick wall, hands in his pockets.
‘Oh please. Like you don’t talk with yours too. I hear your motivational speeches before each race.’
He blew an errant curl out of his eyes. ‘I talk to my mount, not with them. You’re the only one who waits for a reply.’
There was no weight to his teasing words.
He knew I couldn’t help it. Still, he was the only one who knew quite how much I loved each mount I’d raced with over the years.
Sharing an aviary with my other teammates had been a trial in itself, trying not to show how much I cared.
It was hard enough being the only girl in the sport without them all judging me for putting drakes and wyverns on an equal par with humans.
‘Jealous I’m not this nice to you?’ I was never one to turn down a chance to spar. Not with anyone, but it was especially invigorating with Theo. His ego was the easiest spot to aim for.
‘I don’t think you could even if you tried. Scales trump skin for the Paldon sisters.’ He brought Cam into it, naturally. My own weak spot.
My mouth was already open to tell him the wyverns smelled better than his overpowering perfume, when I noticed he was keeping his left arm away from the wall.
‘Come here.’ I stepped towards him before he had a chance to move, grabbing his elbow and raising it up. ‘Does it hurt?’
He sucked in a breath of surprise.
‘It stings a bit, that’s all.’
‘Wimp,’ I teased, but I was gentle when pushing back his sleeve, revealing the back of his bicep.
Fast and fair. The tattoo was healing well. The dark ink was bold against his arm, the edges just as crisp as my matching one.
I left to rummage through my locker, pulling out the moisturizer Theo had given me, replacing the apparently cheap one the artist had sent us home with. Theo hadn’t moved when I returned, just watched me as I opened the lid.
‘Here, put some more on before we get ready. I don’t want you blaming your loss on this.’
‘Oh, I’m not the one losing today.’ He turned so I could get a better angle.
I huffed, not wasting anything more on telling him what he already knew – it was me who would be winning. I scooped out some of the fancy cream and smoothed it out on his arm. The coolness vanished instantly against Theo’s warmth. Yet he shivered at the touch.
‘Your turn,’ he said, taking me by the shoulders to turn me around. ‘You’re not above lame excuses either.’
‘I won’t need an excuse. I’m going to win.’
His hand tensed as he tried to hold back his laughter before gently rubbing over my tattoo. I let myself smirk. I didn’t shudder in the slightest.
Once we were dressed in our flight suits I grabbed my helmet and held it out to him. My rider number, eight, splashed red against the royal blue.
‘Fast and fair?’ I asked, knowing exactly how he would answer. Ten years of racing side by side had taught me everything I could possibly know about Theo.
He lifted his helmet and bumped it against mine. It was a mirror image, except his number seven reminded us both that our competition would never end. One of us always had to be that little bit better.
‘Fast and fair,’ he replied. I knew he meant it too. For all our competitiveness I knew I could trust Theo Vaspre. He was my teammate. My best friend. And he always would be.
One corner left and the win was mine. I was in first place and had been for two laps. Third place, the little rookie kid, had no chance of catching up. Second place though was Theo.
I glanced over my shoulder. After overtaking him earlier he’d been closing his distance lap by lap. I grinned inside my helmet. The remaining corner was too tight for a clean overtake.
I tapped my heels on Cosia’s ribs. Her forelegs tucked in, bringing her wings with them. We shot downwards, tilting around the corner. The finish line was within sight.
A streak of royal blue slashed with red shot in front of me.
I pulled hard on my wyvern’s reins. Alarmed, she flung out her wings. The air dragged at us. It took precious seconds to rein in the risk of her spiralling to the ground.
In front, Theo and his wyvern flew exactly where we should have been. He was clear in his blue and red flight suit, yet I still doubted it was him. The Theo I knew wouldn’t have dived on us like that.
I urged Cosia to follow them, grasping at whatever speed we could claw back. The roar of the crowd and the rush of blood in my ears blended together.
Theo raced ahead. He’d known exactly where I’d been aiming.
He crossed the finish line. He knew he’d forced me back.
I soared across the line. He’d known I wouldn’t endanger my wyvern.
Second place. Theo had used my love for my wyvern against me.
We landed. The crowd surged on to the circuit floor, rushing to congratulate the winner. Theo. Through my visor I saw him dismount into the arms of his parents. Pops was right behind them, slapping the top of his grandson’s helmet with joy.
The reins twisted in my hands as I wrung them over and over. I waited. I needed to see how long it took for him to look back. He lifted the faceplate of his helmet and Ophelia cradled his cheeks in her hands. I could imagine the pride in her voice. Then he turned towards me.
I slipped down from the saddle. My gut curdled at the cowardice. I didn’t want to see his face anymore. I didn’t want to witness his indifference. I couldn’t.
‘Lena!’ Cam yelled over the buzz of people swarming around us.
My left arm radiated with pain as she clapped it in congratulations. The sting of fast and fair. The words hurt deeper than the tattoo. They echoed around my head, the lie doubling itself every time.
I hung on to Cosia. My hand traced the scales of her snout too smooth and leathery to count.
‘Hey,’ Cam lifted my faceplate, forcing me to hear her. ‘It’s okay. We’ll find another way.’
I replayed her words again, digesting them. Another way. Another way for me to get into Volitant.
My chest heaved. I’d lost my chance. Sobs escaped between gasps. Theo had just won the Ballenir contest. He would be racing dragons in Volitant and I would have nothing but the silence from all the teams I’d written to. I hated it. I hated myself for taking so long to realize.
‘They’re a new team, Lena. Overrated before they even start. You’re better off somewhere else.’ Cam’s arm wrapped around my shoulders. She steadied me as she told me her version of the truth.
Through the blur of my tears I saw the crowd shifting. The dark curls of the Vaspres were coming towards us. I lifted a hand away from Cosia and clutched Cam.
Theo’s face appeared through the mess of people. He was no longer wearing his helmet, but instead his bright smile that brought out his dimples. When he saw me, they vanished.
‘We need to go.’ I croaked to Cam before slamming down my faceplate. ‘Now.’
My wyvern parted the crowd for us, such a sweet girl who’d taken me so far. I’d let her down. She’d lost too.
Cam dutifully led me away. The fire that had fuelled me had been doused in half a second. Inside I was hollow and dull, nothing but the ashes and dust of a decade wasted.